Alternatives

Alternatives
Tarnok, Attila
2018-01-01 00:00:00
There is a tradition in Germany, to nominate at the beginning of a year, the “Unwort des Jahres” – best translated into English as ‘the worst word’ or the ‘bad word’ of the year” for the previous year. The “worst word” of 2017 was “alternative Fakten”, which needs no translation I assume. It hardly needs saying that alternative facts are in direct opposition to scientifically well‐conducted and presented research work so it is disconcerting that in some regions of the world, facts – and the scientific method – are now under attack, often replaced with belief and conviction. Scientific research is challenged because it carries negative financial consequences, like reduced funding for example. This very substantial, if not better to call dramatic, change is also noted by editorials in publications like Scientific American last October and in Nature . As a notable consequence, other countries are on their marks to fill this vacuum. In 2016, China's research output surpassed that of the US, and publications from developing countries are growing faster than those of the developed world. In the long term, if the trends continue, the center of research productivity will move to other parts of the globe .
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Abstract

There is a tradition in Germany, to nominate at the beginning of a year, the “Unwort des Jahres” – best translated into English as ‘the worst word’ or the ‘bad word’ of the year” for the previous year. The “worst word” of 2017 was “alternative Fakten”, which needs no translation I assume. It hardly needs saying that alternative facts are in direct opposition to scientifically well‐conducted and presented research work so it is disconcerting that in some regions of the world, facts – and the scientific method – are now under attack, often replaced with belief and conviction. Scientific research is challenged because it carries negative financial consequences, like reduced funding for example. This very substantial, if not better to call dramatic, change is also noted by editorials in publications like Scientific American last October and in Nature . As a notable consequence, other countries are on their marks to fill this vacuum. In 2016, China's research output surpassed that of the US, and publications from developing countries are growing faster than those of the developed world. In the long term, if the trends continue, the center of research productivity will move to other parts of the globe .